DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 5-6, 8-10, , 14, 16-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim (U.S. Publication No. 2022/0181399) in view of Yuan et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2025/0098416)
Regarding claim 1, Shim teaches a display panel, comprising:
an underlay substrate (Fig. 2, underlay substrate 110);
a first auxiliary electrode (AE) disposed on the underlay substrate (Fig. 2);
a second auxiliary electrode (270) disposed on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate (Fig. 2) and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), wherein the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer (273), a second electrode layer (271) stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode (first electrode layer is top layer), an edge of the second electrode layer retracts relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure (see Fig. 2);
a pixel definition layer (PDL 180) disposed on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode (top side), wherein a first aperture (aperture at CCA) is defined in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode (see Fig. 2), and the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode (see Fig. 2, cutout at edge of 270 is exposed from PDL 180);
an organic light emitting layer (230) covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2) and disconnected on the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2); and
a cathode layer (cathode layer 250) covering the organic light emitting layer and electrically connected to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer (see section 250’ of cathode layer, connected to second electrode 273).
Shim does not teach a third electrode layer stacked with the first and second. However, Yuan teaches a similar display in which there is a third electrode layer (Fig. 8A, layers 2a, 2b, 2c). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that a third electrode layer could have been present because this allows for finer tuning of the individual layer functions, such as allowing for a central layer that has a work function tuning property, and a bottom layer that has high adhesion properties.
Regarding claim 5, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 1, further comprising a planarization layer (Shim Fig. 2, planarization layer 160) covering the first auxiliary electrode and an anode disposed on the planarization layer (anode 210), wherein the organic light emitting layer is located between the anode and the cathode layer (Fig. 2), and the anode and the second auxiliary electrode are disposed in a same layer (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 5, wherein a first via hole (Shim Fig. 2, via hole at CH1) is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode location (Fig. 2), the first via hole exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), the second auxiliary electrode is located on the planarization layer and in the first via hole (Fig. 2), and the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode via a portion of the second auxiliary electrode located in the first via hole (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 5, further comprising a transistor (transistor T) disposed on the underlay substrate (Fig. 2), wherein the anode is located on a side of the transistor away from the underlay substrate (Fig. 2), and the anode is electrically connected to the transistor (Fig. 2);
the transistor comprises an active layer (ACT), a gate electrode (GE), a source electrode (SE), and a drain electrode (DE), and the first auxiliary electrode and the source electrode are disposed in a same layer (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the third electrode layer retracts relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure (see Yuan Fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 10, Shim teaches a display panel, comprising:
an underlay substrate (Fig. 2, underlay substrate 110);
a first auxiliary electrode (auxiliary electrode AE) disposed on the underlay substrate;
a second auxiliary electrode (270) disposed on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), wherein the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer 273), a second electrode layer (271) stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), an edge of the second electrode layer retracts relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure (Fig. 2);
a pixel definition layer (PDL 180) disposed on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), wherein a first aperture is defined in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode (first aperture at CCA), and the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode (see Fig. 2, cutout is exposed from the PDL 180);
an organic light emitting layer (230) covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2) and disconnected on the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2);
a cathode layer (cathode 250) covering the organic light emitting layer and electrically connected to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer (see connection at 250’); and
a planarization layer (planarization layer 160) covering the first auxiliary electrode and an anode (anode 210) disposed on the planarization layer (Fig. 2), wherein the organic light emitting layer is located between the anode and the cathode layer (Fig. 2), and the anode and the second auxiliary electrode are disposed in a same layer (Fig. 2);
Shim does not teach a third electrode layer wherein an edge of the third electrode layer retracts relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure. However, Yuan teaches a similar display in which there is a third electrode layer (Fig. 8A, layers 2a, 2b, 2c). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that a third electrode layer could have been present because this allows for finer tuning of the individual layer functions, such as allowing for a central layer that has a work function tuning property, and a bottom layer that has high adhesion properties.
Regarding claim 14, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 10, wherein a first via hole (Shim Fig. 2, via hole CH1) is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode location (Fig. 2), the first via hole exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode (Shim Fig. 2), the second auxiliary electrode is located on the planarization layer and in the first via hole (Fig. 2), and the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode via a portion of the second auxiliary electrode located in the first via hole (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 10, further comprising a transistor (transistor T) disposed on the underlay substrate (Fig. 2), wherein the anode is located on a side of the transistor away from the underlay substrate (Fig. 2), and the anode is electrically connected to the transistor (Fig. 2);
the transistor comprises an active layer (ACT), a gate electrode (GE), a source electrode (SE), and a drain electrode (DE), and the first auxiliary electrode and the source electrode are disposed in a same layer (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Shim teaches a display panel manufacturing method, comprising:
providing an underlay substrate (Fig. 2, underlay substrate 110), and manufacturing a first auxiliary electrode (AE) on the underlay substrate;
manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode (270) on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate (Fig. 2), wherein the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer (273), a second electrode layer (271) stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), and making an edge of the second electrode layer retracting relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure (Fig. 2);
manufacturing a pixel definition layer (PDL 180) on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2), and forming a first aperture (aperture at CCA) in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode, wherein the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode (see Fig. 2);
covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode with an organic light emitting layer (230), and disconnecting the organic light emitting layer at the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode (Fig. 2);
and
covering the organic light emitting layer with a cathode layer (cathode 250), and electrically connecting the cathode layer to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer (connected at 250’).
Shim does not teach a third electrode layer. However, Yuan teaches a similar display in which there is a third electrode layer (Fig. 8A, layers 2a, 2b, 2c). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that a third electrode layer could have been present because this allows for finer tuning of the individual layer functions, such as allowing for a central layer that has a work function tuning property, and a bottom layer that has high adhesion properties.
Regarding claim 19, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein the step of manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate further comprises: making an edge of the third electrode layer retract relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure (see Yuan Fig. 8A).
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Yuan further in view of Kim et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0135819)
Regarding claim 3, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel according to claim 2, but does not teach wherein material of the first electrode layer is the same as material of the third electrode layer, and the material of the first electrode layer is different from material of the second electrode layer.
However, Kim teaches that a 3-layer electrode can be ITO-Ag-ITO (Kim paragraph [0059]). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that the layers of Shim in view of Yuan could have been the same materials because it would have been a simple substitution of one known 3-layer configuration for another with predictable results.
Regarding claim 4, Shim in view of Yuan and Kim teaches the display panel according to claim 3, wherein the material of the first electrode layer comprises at least one of IZO, ITO, IGZO, and WOx (Kim paragraph [0059]), and the material of the second electrode layer comprises at least one of Ag alloy and Al alloy (Kim paragraph [0059]).
Claims 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Yuan, further in view of Wu et al. (CN 115117130).
Regarding claim 18, Shim in view of Yuan teaches the display panel manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein the step of making an edge of the second electrode layer retracting relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure comprises:
etching the second auxiliary electrode, by controlling an etching time and an etching apparatus parameter, and making an edge of the second electrode layer retract relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure (see Fig. 4B-4C, it is inherent that a timing and parameters of the etch must be controlled in order to form the undercut without overetching or underetching because the sizing of the device is very small).
Shim does not specifically teach the etchant that is used. However, Wu teaches that a silver acid can be used to undercut etch an ITO-Ag-ITO electrode stack (see translation page 10). It would have been obvious to a person of skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date that the etchant of Shim could have been the same because it would have been a simple substitution of one etchant for another with predictable results.
Regarding claim 20, Shim in view of Yuan and Wu teaches the display panel manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein the step of manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate further comprises: making an edge of the third electrode layer retract relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure (see Yuan Fig. 8A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7, 11-13 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2 and 11-13, the prior art, alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest wherein a thickness of the first electrode layer is greater than a thickness of the third electrode layer, and the thickness of the first electrode layer ranges from 500 A to 1000 A.
Regarding claim 7 and 15, the prior art, alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest wherein a second aperture is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode, the second aperture is disposed to correspond to the first aperture and communicates with the first aperture, the second aperture exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode; the second auxiliary electrode is located on the first auxiliary electrode in the second aperture, and is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode.
Conclusion
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/EVAN G CLINTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899